Making it hotter inside (basic smoker)

[vulcan]

I have a char broil h20 reallly basic smoker. My temperature always teeter totters on the line between "warm and ideal" on the "temperature" guage.

How can I raise that sucker to the middle to high end of the ideal section which is where I assume I want to be?

I've tried adding more coals, but that didn't do it. I left the coal door open for a little bit to let some air in, because air = fire right? but that didnt do it (dropped the temperature actually)


Does adding a dry block of hickory ontop of the coals increase teampeature? I threw a chunk on there and it didnt catch fire or anything, just smoledered.

 

[jaxgatorz]

You really should never rely on those ideal-warm-hot thermometers on your smoker..... Buy a digital thermometer so you know what the temps really are ... Happy smoking

 

[travcoman45]

Well first off ferget that temp gauge! It is only good fer pluggin the hole they drilled right there.

Get a digital thermo fer checkin yer smoker temps, test it in boilin water ta make sure it is accurate. Then yall will know exactly where yer temp is.

As fer modin that thin, I don't own one, but there be some folk along shortly that can hep ya.

 

[vulcan]

Do you leave the digital gauge sitting on the rack inside the smoker while it smokes? I'm worried I'd let all the heat out checking the temp

I just fired it up using the "minion method" that I just read about on here, well see how that goes

 

[chisoxjim]

a digital gauge with a probe inside the smoker so you can read the temp and keep the top closed.

 

[old poi dog]

Yup, a digital guage with those probes for the smoker temp should be one of the basic tools one should have. I messed up on my first three smokes relying on my smoker guage before I finally got great advice from those here. If you can swing it, get one with a probe for the smoker and a probe for the food you will be smoking.

 

[azrocker]

I like my dual probe Maverick. Those gauges with IDEAL on them are not accurate at all. Somewhere on here there is a post comparing the actual temps to their version of ideal. It was far from ideal.

 

[ddave]

What Tip said.

And for an interesting read, look here.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=74605

Dave